Renault Clio Coming To Geneva With New Looks And Hybrid Tech

Our spy photographers have managed to snap the fifth-generation Renault Clio testing in Sweden. We’ve been waiting for the new model for quite some time and finally, it seems to be just around the corner.

Rather than developing an all-new platform for the new Clio, the French auto manufacturer will update the CMF architecture of the current car. However, the updates to the current platform will allow Renault to introduce a selection of new powertrains.

At the base of the petrol range will sit a 0.9-liter turbocharged unit, while just above it, there will be a handful of turbocharged 1.3-liter fours, developed alongside Daimler, available in a number of guises.

The flagship engine will take the form of a mild-hybrid pairing a 48-volt electrical system with (most likely) one of the aforementioned 1.3-liter turbo engines and a small electric motor. It remains to be seen if this engine will also power the Renault Sport versions or if Renault will opt for a different powertrain. An all-electric version is also a possibility, sources inform Carscoops.

Lots of goodies packed in a small package.

These images of the new Clio reveal that it’s exterior design will be a dramatic departure from the current car and, on first impressions, it also looks larger than the current model – but that’s likely just the camouflage playing tricks on us. What we do know for sure is that design inspiration will be taken from the current Megane as well as the Symbioz concept.

More important than the new design, however, will be the inclusion of Level 2 autonomous capability, making the next Clio the first in its class to feature such technology.

Renault was expected to unveil the all-new Clio at the Paris Motor Show in September last year, but this didn’t happen. A debut was then tipped for January 2019 but it was once again delayed following the arrest of chief executive Carlos Ghosn. Therefore, the Geneva Motor Show in March now seems the most likely location for the car’s launch.